Pickles, Pickles, Pickles...

Pickles, pickles, pickles:)... Fresh cukes and dill from our garden. Still figuring out the whole garlic thing, but will get it eventually! 

Beauty Around the Farm...

Trying to breath and enjoy beauty around the farm instead of focusing on all of the damn snakes I have encountered lately. I have seen more snakes in a 2 week period than I have ever seen in my life. I encountered a copperhead in the garden yesterday (woooo freakin' hoo for me). By the time I returned with a gun, it was gone. Of course.... So... Every time I return to the garden, I will be worried about copperheads. FML.... 

Cabbage Gone to Seed

This is what cabbage looks like when you let it go to seed:).

Weed-Be-Gone

So happy to have found this recipe again... This stuff really works and is SO much cheaper than commercial sprays.

The BEST Fertilizer Ever!!!

Hubby went fishing the other day. I asked him to save even the smallest catch so I could dry it out and grind it up to make fertilizer for my plants. I am SOOOOO glad I did:). In 48 hours, the plants have shown OBVIOUS growth. Fish all you want, oh hubby O' mine, lol:). Oh... Thanks fishie!!! 

Week of Rain...

Looks like I will enjoy a week of rain showers according to the NOAA Weather Website. http://www.noaa.gov/wx.html

Our orchard, garden, and newly planted chicken yard plants will surely thrive with the rain.

Have been hand watering the orchard and chicken yard during this recent dry spell. We have a watering system in our garden so we are lucky there.

C'mon rain... Grow, plants, grow:)!!!

Mini Roses added to Chicken Garden

These mini roses were added to the chicken garden today:). 

Homemade Miracle Grow

Homemade Miracle Grow...smile emotico

1 gallon of water
1 tbsp Epsom salts
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp powdered milk
1/2 tsp ammonia
2 drops blue food coloring

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Seed Treasures

http://seedtreasures.com/

Received our heirloom and open pollinated seeds from Jackie and Will Clay. Excited to add these bad boys to our garden:). 

Garden Gate

Family project...

My hubby, father in law, and I had a blast building and decorating our garden gate yesterday. We love whimsical and "different" looking gates and can't wait to construct the one for our orchard.

This project was especially interesting, fun, and "do-able" for my elderly father in law (who lives with us). He was able to have "almost full" creative freedom placing the driftwood pieces. I say "almost full" creative freedom because my OCD husband had to give his input at times, lol.

The driftwood is from the beaches of Oregon. Hubby and I spent much time combing the beaches when we lived in Oregon (we REALLY MISS Oregon). YES... We moved the driftwood with us when we relocated to the east coast.

The heart shaped rock were also found on the Oregon coast and made the move as well. I love collecting and finding the heart shaped rocks while "hubby" loves finding unique pieces of driftwood. 

Fun day, all-in-all!!! 

dormant fruit trees planted

Today, we got our dormant blue berry bushes planted, and dormant plum, apple, cherry, and pear trees planted as well. Also planted some strawberry plants, but those are covered with straw:). C'mon SPRING! 

Rain Rain

Rain, Rain.... Very happy to have a dry day with sunshine. Really NEED to till compost into the garden, but can't get the tractor in there with the wet ground. Likely going to need 7-9 days of DRY before that can happen. Our compost is looking SWEET:)! Going to be checking the horses hooves for any rot with all of the mud. Kopertox is a miracle worker as far as thrush and other things go, thank goodness!